Dave Portnoy and Barstool bring the CUM Bowl to UConn

Connecticut plus UMass spells something, and of course Barstool noticed. The game got a name, and then it got a trophy.

Dave Portnoy

@stoolpresidente

We have obtained the CUM Bowl trophy and @MikeMutnansky is responsible for getting it to the winning team after the game

Mut being in charge of anything that has to survive the night is a bit in itself. The trophy is a bean pot on a stepped wooden pedestal, which feels about right for a New England rivalry nobody outside New England pays attention to. The show set up between Gates C and D in the Rentschler Field lot and went live at 5:30 p.m., 90 minutes before the 7 p.m. kick on CBS Sports Network. Dave had been hyping it all afternoon, and he even had custom cookies made.

There was real football attached to the gimmick. UConn came in at 3-3 after a bye and a road win at Temple. UMass started 4-0 and then lost 3 straight. The last time these 2 played, in 2024, UConn won a 47-42 shootout in Amherst. On the desk, Dave picked the Huskies to win but didn't think they'd pull away.

Barstool Sports

@barstoolsports

Dave thinks UConn wins the CUM Bowl tonight but thinks we see a close game

That's the hedge: UConn wins, but UMass +13.5 covers. CT Insider reported that all 4 panelists picked UConn to win, and that Dave admitted he hadn't watched any UConn football this season. Pizza took up plenty of the roughly 40-minute show too. Frank Pepe's handed out free slices, and Dave gave a fan's homemade slice a 7.8 and called Connecticut the best pizza state in the world. When the cameras went off, Mut still had 1 more thing to do before the trophy left the stage.

Viva La Stool

@VivaLaStool

Mut wasn’t leaving without a UConn chant (and the trophy)

Hundreds of fans filled the lot for a program that usually plays second fiddle to UConn basketball. Dave left with a bigger take than his pick.

Dave Portnoy

@stoolpresidente

A perfect night for football at the Rent. Absolutely great crowd for @UConnFootball Makes me wonder if Uconn is a sleeping giant?

'Sleeping giant' gets thrown around a lot, but he has a case: the fan base, the stadium, and a basketball brand that has won everything lately. The test now is whether the Rent stays that loud when Barstool isn't parked outside. Meanwhile, the bean pot belongs to whoever won Friday night, assuming Mut actually delivers it.